Short Stories from Wing's Authors.

Back To Eternity

by

Jayme Evans

Down in the dim lit cellar of Felsom House, Melody Hanley surveyed the lynch mob that crowded around her. "You can't do this. It's inhumane."

"Yes, we can." The ten or so sorority girls sounded out her doom like a unified chorus. They surrounded her and there was no escape.

The alliance of their minds startled Melody. She swallowed hard and peered around the oppressive group. How did she ever get in this mess?

The leader, Carla Biggs, lifted one blond eyebrow. "It has been an initiation rite for over three decades. If you can't handle it, then maybe you don't need to be in this sorority."

Melody glanced around at the offending object and shivered. Sheesh. Maybe hazing would be a better initiation. Maybe running naked through a boy's locker room. No, she couldn't do that either. She had an incredible shy body. "Sleeping in a coffin? What kind of sick initiation is that? And what if I'm claustrophobic?"

Carla's blue gaze glinted with suspicion. Had she really done this? Somehow Melody couldn't picture Carla messing up her silky blond hair in the cramped area of a coffin.

"If you haven't got the guts, say so." Carla's voice mocked.

Wimp. That's what the assemblage would say. Melody searched the ogling faces. Everyone waited for Melody's reply and she couldn't back out now. "Okay, if this is the only thing I can do."

Cheers echoed off the enclosing walls. If Melody was smothered now, wait until she climbed into that thing. She wasn't claustrophobic as a rule, but inside that coffin she might be. Her skin already crawled.

Her first cousin, Janine, patted her arm. "We've all done it, Melody. It's not really that bad, especially if I can do it. You know how scared of tight places I am. I'll say a spell, and you'll fall asleep."

Oh no. Not witchcraft again. Janine thought she could do real magic. Admittedly, Melody had seen Janine perform some amazing tricks like floating objects and dancing brooms. A few simple ones that would rival David Copperfield. Melody loved her anyway and decided to enter Felsom House with her because they had always been close.

Only older students, like themselves, resided here. Many of them had returned to college after several years of work and low pay. Maybe Melody should go back to minimum wage. Flipping burgers didn't sound too bad, right now. How bad did she want a college education? Humm. Pretty bad.

Well, if it had to be done, it had to be done. She wanted to be in Felsom house with Janine and she couldn't be without this initiation. She wasn't a wimp and she wouldn't start now. She peered at Carla, the closest tormentor. "It's nearly dawn. Let's get this over with."

Janine slapped Melody's back. "That's the spirit! And you'll dream all day about a handsome dark-haired man. You'll not want the dream to end."

"I wish." It'd be one of the longest days in her life. She had stayed up almost all night, just so she could sleep. But in a coffin? This was like something strange out of the X-files. Well, Dracula move over. You've got competition now for the coffin today. At least she didn't have to have native dirt.

The girls chanted a ghoulish lyric while Melody climbed upon a step and into the coffin. The blue satin lining felt comfortable, but what difference did it make to dead people? They were dead!

Carla grinned and closed the lid. The blond was enjoying this too doggone much. Did Carla want to be the only true blond in Felsom House? Well, she wasn't going to be. Melody aimed to be in the sorority too. Why else would she do this nonsense of sleeping in a coffin?

Janine babbled something otherworldly, probably her spell. Oh man, if only Melody could dream of a handsome man all day. Then the muffled giggles faded to silence. Dawn to dusk, just like a vampire. That's how long she had to stay in here.

~ * ~

Melody couldn't go to sleep yet. It couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes when the coffin's lid started to open. "Hey! What's going on?"

Seconds passed, and then the lid glided open and a man peered in.

"Iiiiieee!" She couldn't help the scream.

The lid slammed shut. Oh, her ears. Dang! If this nosy bozo messed up her initiation rite, she may not get the courage to do it again. It had taken her last nerve to agree to this.

The lid inched upward again. This time, the man studied her. His gaze held undoubted curiosity. "Why are you here?"

She tugged at the lid, but he wouldn't release it. "I'm supposed to be in here, now get out of here...please."

He had a twinkle in his eye, but stuck his other hand out. "Allow me to help you out."

The nerve of the man. Who did he think he was? "I don't know who you are, but I can't get out yet. If the sorority girls found out, I'd fail the initiation. Now scram and leave me alone."

Confusion dipped his brows and his gaze took on an intensity. "Sorority Girls? I beg your pardon, but your meaning escapes me."

Jerk. Carla had to be behind this. She didn't want Melody in Felsom House, but this wasn't playing fair. "Look. This may look really strange if you're the handyman. Go fix whatever you're supposed to. I don't want to argue, but--."

He flung the top back and scooped her up into his arms. He did it so fast that her surroundings became a blur for a moment.

"What do you think you're doing?" She beat on his wide chest, until he put her feet on the floor. Now, this really teed her off.

He didn't release her but kept her in the fold of his arms and smiled down at her. "Now, Miss, I did not get your name."

The smell of candle wax assailed her. Had the candles in the fancy candelabrum been here all along? Where did the naked light bulb go? Shelves of food lined the wall. Where did they come from? This cellar hadn't been used for decades. "Melody...Hanley."

He took her hand in his and kissed it. "Enchanting, Miss Hanley. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. You should not be in this coffin since you are neither a vampire, nor dead. I hope that an explanation is forthcoming."

He talked so proper, unlike any man she knew. "It's part of the initiation. If I can't get into Felsom House, it's going to be your fault. Did Carla put you up to this?"

"Carla?"

He looked oddly dressed in a nineteenth century costume with a blue velvet waistcoat, a blue satin cravat, white shirt and black pantaloons. His reddish-brown hair curled at the collar. He had sideburns that stopped at the edge of his chin. "What're you dressed up for? A masquerade party?"

He glanced down at himself and up again. "I assure you, Miss Hanley. This is no costume, but I find that your attire is most unusual. Why are you clothed like a man? And what strange device is this?" He tugged at her blue jeans waistband just above her zipper.

Annoyance slammed her. Anyone with half a mind had heard of zippers. And what was unusual about blue jeans? Men and women had worn them for years. This guy had to be nuts. "That's it. I'm complaining to the dorm mother."

She stomped up the cellar steps, but they seemed different somehow. Hadn't the steps been on the other side of the room? She shoved the heavy door open wide and stepped outside. Outside? She had entered the cellar from inside the house. Now, this was confusing. And where had that huge hedge down the side of the yard come from? It hid the whole side of Felsom House from the property next door.

"Please, Miss Hanley," the man said. "Go into the house. We must talk."

"I intend to." She stormed around the house to the front and rushed upon the porch. Mr. What's-his-name grumbled behind her, and she glanced around.

He had pulled his collar up to cover his neck. He wore a pained expression. "Don't dally, Miss Hanley. The sun is quite warm."

Huh? Why would he say it's warm? The sun barely peeked over the trees.

The trees made her stop and study her surroundings. Houses lined the tree-shaded cobbled street and a two-horse carriage clattered by. Where did the campus go? Where were the college buildings? Where were the concrete paths and lampposts? This was Felsom House. Wasn't it?

The man took her elbow between his fingers and prodded her inside.

Good grief! This wasn't Felsom House. Yet...it was. The entrance had the same layout, but antiques and colorful carpeting beautifully decorated the wide entrance hall. She hurried up the corridor. Each room, that she peeked into, seemed familiar, yet unfamiliar, and empty of people. Where did the girls go? And how did they get all this old stuff in here so quickly?

"In here, Miss Hanley." The man's fingertips pressed into her elbow again and he ushered her into the visitor's lounge.

Only, it wasn't the visitor's lounge, but the original parlor. The magnificent furnishings astonished her. The TV spot held an ornate table and an antique oil lamp. High-back chairs and other decorative tables dotted the room. It was a little cluttered to her contemporary tastes, but it was beautiful, nevertheless. And the ceiling wasn't the lowered ceiling that she remembered, but the ten-footer that must have been the original ceiling. Heavy drapes covered the windows and blocked out almost all of the outside light. Numerous Candles burned on fancy candlesticks.

Could anything be more confusing than her surrounding? "W...what's going on here? I mean. How'd you get all this stuff in here? And the carpet looks new and the ceiling is higher. I was here no more than a half-hour ago and this room didn't look like this."

His glare met her gaze. "That is impossible. I have been in the entire evening and you have not been here. I would have sensed an intruder in the house."

Ha! He was the intruder. Now that she had time to look at him in the filtered light, the bozo turned out to be incredibly handsome. He had striking green eyes, and a lean build, tall, but not too tall. He didn't look to be too much older than her, mid twenties maybe.

"Master!" someone called from behind her. A woman in another nineteenth century costume had entered the room. "Why have you left the cellar? The sun is up!"

Melody glanced toward the darkened window. Hmm. Another reference to the risen sun. What difference did that make? Other than she was supposed to still be in the coffin.

"I know the sun is up, Mistress Cantrell.” The man’s deep voice sharpened. “And I have felt it upon my back." He smiled at Melody again. "We have an unexpected guest. Bring Miss Hanley something to refresh herself."

The woman's gaze moved over Melody. "Of course, Master." She then disappeared through the parlor door into the hall.

Something about this situation sickened her. What on Earth was going on? This had to be part of her initiation, but how could the girls change the house so quickly? She plopped in one of the Victorian chairs, and let out a gusty breath. "I'm confused."

He sat near her. "You are not the only one, Miss Hanley. Allow me to introduce myself. I am David Felsom and I own this house."

"I know David Felsom owns it. Oh, then you're him. You're the grandson of the David Felsom who had it built in 1899." She pointed up to the portrait that hung over the mantel. "You look just like your grandfather. That's cool."

David arched his eyebrows. "Are you cold? I can have the fire lit."

The clown. They obviously weren't on the same wavelength or he was making fun of her. She could come near believing that he was teasing her. "I mean that it’s really cool to have a house in the family for over a hundred years. Your grandfather, your father and now you. Your resemblance to the man in the painting is amazing. You could be him, if I didn't know better."

He studied her face, but she couldn't figure out the thoughts behind the green gaze. “It would be most kind of you, if you would explain why you are here." His deep voice soothed her.

David Felsom never showed any emotion the whole time she related her situation to him. Mistress Cantrell brought in a highly-polished, sterling silver tea set and served steaming tea in fine china cups. If Melody had been baffled before, she was more so now. Where was she, if not in Felsom House? And why the strange costumes and role playing? David Felsom didn't drink any tea, but watched every move she made.

"And that's it." She ended her explanation. "I should be sleeping in the coffin. If the girls find out that I'm not there, they'll reject the initiation."

He peered at her in silence for the longest time. Dang the man. Why was he so closed mouthed? He could say something. Anything.

"What year is it, Miss Hanley?"

"My name's Melody." She hesitated. "Why?"

"Please indulge me." A slight smile curved his lips, making him more appealing. He was too danged good-looking to be so meddlesome.

For the time being, she would play his game. "It's 2009, of course. What other year would it be?"

His eyes widened and he didn't respond for several seconds again. Infuriating man. Did he like to keep her on edge?

"What would you say, Melody, if I told you that it is 1909?"

Melody came to her feet. "I'd say you're yanking my chain and this farce has gone on long enough. This isn’t funny, anymore." She made for the door, but he caught her arm. "Let me go! I'm getting out of here."

"You are not going anywhere, until I am satisfied with your explanation. Look at me."

David's insistence frightened her and she struggled, but he pulled her around to face him. His gaze became hypnotic and she couldn't resist it. She couldn't move, not even a finger. Such eyes! The irises were so green. Lighter than grass with flicks of gold though them.

"You must tell me the truth."

"I have." Her voice didn't sound like herself. It came out so mechanical, like a robot.

"And the year is 2009?"

"Yes." All of a sudden, his gaze freed her and she could move again. He still hadn't released her, but kept her within the circle of his arms. She shook her head to clear the fogginess. "What did you do to me?"

Mischievousness curved his lips. "I hypnotized you."

She glared at him. He had to be kidding. Somehow, she knew he wasn't. "How?"

"I am a vampire." He didn't change his expression.

"Yeah, right!" She tried to jerk free from his arms, but he still held her. "And I'm the Queen of Sheba. You've got to come up with a better story than that."

"Your speech is strange, and your clothes, unseemly. But you are beautiful, a golden angel, and your skin, soft."

David's light touch with his fingertips on her face and his words soothed her. Loony or not, he appealed to her senses. He brought his face closer until his lips touched hers, gently and then stronger. They weren't half bad. In fact, the kiss was wonderfully cool against her lips. She dissolved into his embrace. He had to be fooling with her brain again, because she couldn't think of anything but his mouth. She put her arms around his neck. If only the kiss would never stop.

It did.

Smiling, he lifted his head. "You are intriguing, Melody Hanley. You do not want to believe what I said, but I could soon convince you. Give yourself to me."

Give herself to him? If it meant what she thought it meant, she didn't know whether to be insulted or pleased. "I...I don't know you. I don't climb into bed with men I don't know. I don't even climb into bed with any man." She tried to push away. Her actions appalled her. How could she kiss him like that? "This is just part of the initiation and I can't be a hundred years in the past. “You're part of the game. That's all."

His expression held curiosity. "Which do you find more unbelievable? That you are in the past? Or that I am a vampire?"

"It’s more ridiculous to think that you're a vampire. What’s the point of such a crazy story? To see how gullible I am? I may be blond but I'm not ditsy, and I've had my fill of blond jokes.”

She finally pulled away and ran into the hall. She was going to get to the bottom of this one way or another. "Carla! Janine! Where are you two?"

He chuckled and made her look around at him. "Your friends are not here.”

Sheesh! He could walk fast. He stood behind her and she hadn’t even seen him move. And she hadn't heard him. Those leather shoes of his should have made some kind of noise.

Aggravated, she placed her hands on her hips and stared at him. “It’s the coffin. That’s why they want me to believe you’re a vampire. Now, I understand. They want me to think that a real vampire got me up out of the coffin."

She chuckled. "Now, that's really a twist. I would have never guessed it that an actor would pretend to be a vampire. Janine hadn't warned me about any of this. Wait until I get my hands on her."

He flashed another bone melting smile. “Oh, I assure you that I am no actor. That I am a vampire is not a story that I make well known. Only my servants know, and others of my kind, of course."

"Yeah, right. A vampire. What are you going to do? Suck my blood as part of the initiation? Am I suppose to pretend that I'm your victim? I wish they could have given me some clue about this part." She hesitated. "But then it wouldn't have been a surprise. Would it?"

David took her hand in his. It was surprisingly cool to the touch. Just like his lips had been. "Give yourself to me. It would prove my existence."

"Well, I could believe that you have a mixed up y-chromosome or something, but a vampire? Besides, I didn't think that vampires could be up during the day. You know, ultra-violet sunrays or something."

He laughed. "I need only to rest in my coffin for awhile each day, but I must stay away from the sunlight."

Was that true in vampire lore? Well, he wasn't going to keep on avoiding her questions. She met his gaze. "Why do you want to convince me that you're a real vampire?"

"Because I am." His face grew more serious. "Give yourself to me."

He made this seem so real. She crossed her arms. "You keep saying that. Look. I need more explanation. I don't know vampire stories very well, and I'm sure that I'm not supposed to be so gullible sounding even in this fantasy. Would I become your slave or something? Would I cross land or sea to do your bidding?"

His mouth parted in surprise. "That a marvelous concept. However did you think of something like that?"

She couldn't help laughing. "Dracula gave me the idea."

"Dracula? I've read this book."

"And I've seen the movie, three times."

David pulled her into his arms again, and she didn't resist. For some odd reason, she was comfortable there.

"Give me at least this one moment, before I must go down to my rest."

She swallowed hard. Was he crazy or was he really a vampire? "I don't know. I don't want to look like an idiot to the others."

He kissed her forehead, and then smiled down at her. "I suspect that I alarm you, although I do not sense it. Do not fear to give yourself to me. You will not be hurt, but we will be bonded. The attachment will not alter your personality, only your awareness of me. I will let you remember our bond. Usually, I make my... um, prey forget me."

He made the union sound almost sexual. Did he want her body or just her blood? It sounded like he wanted her blood, but... “How?”

He appeared to be so serious. "The feeding on your blood creates a link between us. I want to know what you feel, what you think. You are from a time that I hope to see one day. Grant me this, so that I can see it through your eyes."

Sheesh. He made thinking difficult. "I guess I can. It must be part of the initiation, after all. I'll play along for fun."

David kissed her lips. His cool skin was not uncomfortable, but how was he so chilly? Had he been drinking something cold?

He swooped her up into his arms and she yelped. Danged, he could move so fast. She had to be insane to do this. Did they take insane students into Felsom House?

David carried her up the wide staircase and into a bedroom, where he laid her on a canopied bed. His gaze moved across her. "You are beautiful, my willing maiden. Soon, you will know the truth." He stretched out beside her and half covered her.

Melody's heart pounded in her temples. He was just going to pretend to bite her. Right? If he went near her pant’s zipper, he’d have a fight on his hands. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea, after all.

"Look at me and I will relax you," David whispered.

His gaze swallowed her up. A calm swept across her. She could have been floating on a puffy white cloud through a clear blue sky. He lowered his head and kissed her neck, and then his tongue slipped across the vein. Her heart quickened. Ow! He really bit her. It hurt, and yet, it didn’t. Had she ever experienced anything so erotic? His emotions--need, desire, pleasure, hunger, loneliness--flowed into her.

David withdrew his mouth from her neck. Man oh man. He had finished too soon. Wonder what a sexual experience would be like with him? Anything like the wild, passionate images that had swamped her? She wanted him. No, she couldn't. She mustn't. Oh man. She did.

"Stay with me." His hypnotic voice sounded in her head. "Be with me always."

He was at least four hundred years old and she could visualize what he had seen through the years. He had been in this country for two hundred years but had come from England. She knew everything about him, just from his taking of her blood. Right now, she could think of nothing better than to stay here with him in this century.

This century? She bolted to a sitting position. "Ohmigosh. This is all true. You are really a vampire, and I'm really in the past. It can't be. I don't belong here. There's no TV or radio or computers. How can I go back?"

A deep frown changed his pleasant face. "Back?"

"To my time."

David kissed her cheek. She kissed his lips in return. Here, beside him seemed so natural.

"Stay with me, Melody. Experience what I have. Become like me."

He was asking her to be a vampire? Oh no. She couldn't. She had to think. She had to live in her own time. She had to go to college and be independent. She shook her head. "I can't."

"Why?"

"I don’t know you. I don't know anything about being a vampire. You see. I like my own time. Janine recited a spell and it was to last just during the time I spent in the coffin. I think. Well, it was to make me dream and it wasn't supposed to be real."

He looked downfallen. "But I am real. My life is empty and I need someone to share it. Stay with me."

Tears filled her eyes. She just couldn't help it. "If I go back to that coffin by dusk, I should return to 2009."

He put his arm around her and she didn't resist. His embrace comforted. "Then I will let you return to the coffin at evening. Maybe the magic which brought you here will take you back to the your time."

Man. Never again would she doubt Janine's magic, but Janine had to hone her skills. Sending someone into the past to meet a dark, handsome man wasn't like dreaming about one. "I don't belong here. I like cars and movies and microwaves too much."

His sad gaze cut into her. It was tempting to stay.

"You can belong. I know from your blood that you are adventurous vintage, unlike many of the timid women of today. I know that you want to learn about many things. I can teach you more than books can teach you. I can show you a world not known to humans."

He stroked her face, and made thinking difficult. From their bonding, she learned that he lived an isolated life, always fearing being caught, always moving from place to place. He did age, but much, much slower than humans.

Her heart was heavy. "I can't, David. I want to go home."

He sighed, and then helped her up. Feeling woozy, she swayed against him. "It will pass. Lean on me."

She did.

~ * ~

David lay there in the coffin. At dusk in a few more minutes, he'd rise and she would climb in the coffin to return to her time. That is, if the spell worked again.

It had been a pleasant afternoon, spent roaming the huge mansion and walking down the tree-lined street. No doubt she had traveled back in time. What if she couldn't go back home? He interested her, thrilled her. He had a gentle nature considering his condition, as he called it. She’d miss him, because the bond he had forged would remind her of him for the rest of her life.

Just like in an old Dracula movie, David's fingers grasped the edge of the coffin. He arose and stepped out. He wore a sad-eyed smile. "You are ready to leave me."

She hurt for him, with him. "I wish I could stay, but I could never adjust here, no matter how exciting this little trip has been. I like the material trappings of my time. Hey, if you survive another 100 years, look me up."

He leaned and kissed her lips. His touch was so hard to leave.

"I will, Melody."

~ * ~

Melody didn't know what to tell Janine, who took a seat beside her on the sofa in the visitor’s lounge. Melody wasn't even sure about her adventure. It seemed more a dream than reality. Had she dreamed of the handsome, green-eyed man? But, how could she account for a whole day and remember every little detail? It still didn't make sense.

She glanced up at David Felsom's painting which still hung over the mantel. The painting must have been on her mind. When Janine's spell kicked in, the image of the painting filled her thoughts. They were good memories, anyway.

“It seems that my sleeping spell worked okay.” Janine seemed pleased with herself. "Did you dream of a handsome man?

"The handsomest." Melody glanced up at the painting. "He looked just like David Felsom."

Janine grinned and studied the painting with her. "Now that was a dream worth having. I wish I could dream about him." Then she cocked her head sideways. “What's that on your neck? Did a bug bite you?"

Melody grabbed at her neck. "No, it can't be." She had two bumps on her neck. She rushed over to the wall mirror. Two puncture marks dotted her vein. "It can't be." She stared up at the portrait again. "I dreamed it about him. Didn't I?"

Janine stepped up beside her. "What can't be real? What's going on, Melody? You're talking really strange."

"You would think it's strange. You're spell worked somewhat, but you've got to control it a little better. I wasn't supposed to go to the--."

"Melody!" Someone in the entrance yelled. "You've got company."

Puzzled, Melody stared at Janine. Who'd be visiting her so soon? Melody didn't have much family besides Janine, and they wouldn't be visiting her this soon after she moved here.

Melody made quick steps out of the lounge. Like an illusion, David Felsom stood in the entrance hall. He didn't have on the same costume, but wore jeans and a T-shirt like any of the students would. He still looked too good to be true.

She embraced him. "David. I thought this had been a dream. I didn't think you were real."

He kissed her cheek. "I looked you up, just as you requested. Let's get out of here and talk." He touched her neck bite with his fingertips. "We have much to discuss."

A thrill rushed through her. It was real. All of it. David Felsom stood here in the hall and she could touch him and see him. "I'd like very much to get out of here. You've lost your charming accent."

He chuckled. "I change with the times. It has been a hundred years since I've seen you."

"Has it been long?"

"Almost unbearable, but I looked forward to seeing you again."

Joy bombarded her that he had looked her up. "Well, you are here, and I am here and we have time together. I'm hungry. How about a pizza?"

He made a face. "I can't handle that." He leaned closer. "But if you don't get garlic, I'll enjoy sitting with you while you eat." He extended his elbow. "Shall we?"

She linked her arm into his. "With pleasure."

"I see this as a long lasting relationship. Maybe forever?"

She smiled. "Umm. Maybe. But I have to think about it for awhile."

He gave her that devastating smile. "Just don't wait too long. You wouldn't want to start getting wrinkles in that lovely skin."

"Melody?" Janine called out behind her.

Melody wasn't ready to deal with Janine yet. The experience had been real. How much would David want Janine to know? Besides, Melody would rather look upon David's handsome face than talk to Janine right now.

"Melody?" Janine's voice still sounded behind her. "Melodyyyyyy!"

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